ORONO- Josh Nadeau scored his first goal of the season just 1:10 into the first period that ended up being the game winner on Friday night, as #7 Maine blanked Merrimack 5-0 in their men’s Hockey East home opener at Alfond Arena.
Before some of the fans settled into their seats, Maine got all they needed when Nadeau took a pass from Brandon Holt and went around a Merrimack defender and into the right faceoff circle. Nadeau faked to his forehand and then backhanded a shot into the net inside the far post from the low slot at 1:10. Harrison Scott made it 2-0 with a deflection on the doorstep at 14:37 off assists from Thomas Freel and Jack Dalton. The Black Bears outshot the Warriors 8-5 in the opening 20 minutes.
Maine would hold Merrimack to just 10 shots on goal over the final 40 minutes, adding two more on the scoreboard in the second period to help extend the lead. A shot from the high point by Holt from straight away was tipped home by Lynden Breen at 10:17. It was also the first goal of the season for Breen, one of the Black Bear captains. Freel made it 4-0 on the powerplay less than three minutes later. Harrison Scott got a drop pass from Holt and dangled with it in the high slot from right to left, sending a pass over to Charlie Russell for a one-timer from the left circle. Warriors netminder Max Lundgren made the initial pad save, but couldn’t control the rebound and Freel was all alone in the low slot to clean it up. It was the fourth goal on the year for Freel, all on the powerplay.
A late penalty call on Merrimack at the 18:28 mark of the second period led to another powerplay goal early in the third that would finish the scoring on the night. Taylor Makar rushed down the left wing and sent one to the front of the net that Russell got his stick on to get it past Lundgren, as he was sliding through the low slot at 22 seconds. That would end the evening for the Warriors goaltender, as Nils Wallstrom would finish up in the cage.
Albin Boija made 15 saves in the Maine win, his second shutout of the season. Scott and Russell led the point getters each recording a goal and two assists. Freel had one goal and one assist, while Holt also chipped in with a pair of helpers. The Black Bears went 2-3 on the powerplay. Lundgren stopped 19 of 24 shots in the loss for Merrimack, and Wallstrom saved all nine he saw in relief. The Warriors went 0-1 on the powerplay, as their record slips to 1-4-1 and 0-2-1 in Hockey East. Maine is now 5-0-1 and 2-0-1 in league play and will go for the sweep when the teams finish off their two game series on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Black Bears victory was also the 50th for Ben Barr in his head coaching career (fourth season).
All photos and videos on this recap are by Chris Lessner
Harrison Scott (22) takes a faceoff for Maine, flanked by Josh Nadeau (20) to his right and Thomas Freel (26) to his left on Friday, November 1 vs Merrimack at Alfond Arena in Orono
Maine goaltender Albin Boija gets in position during the Black Bears Hockey East home opener against Merrimack on Friday, November 1 at Alfond Arena. Boija got his second shutout of the season in a 5-0 Maine win
Postgame video interviews top to bottom- Head Coach Ben Barr, Josh Nadeau, and Lynden Breen
